Odyssey 2013 Gear List

Our pack burden (the crushing weight of all the stuff we lift and lug to the trail) is directly proportional to our degree of insecurity–our fear of the trail, that dreaded unknown. The greater our fear, the heavier our packs become. Until we accept this fact will we forever continue staggering on, bound by (and shackled to) this crushing burden of stuff.

So, the dilemma: What to do! Well, it’s really quite simple. First, we must diligently set to shedding this crushing burden of fear. Fear that weighs our hearts and minds. Then (and only then), might we begin shedding the burden of all the stuff that weighs our backs.

Believe me dear friends, experiencing the joy of trekking unburdened is near magic, no less the rejoicing in Ma Nature’s glorious wonders.

*All gear has been weighed to the nearest pounds, ounces, tenth-ounces (00-00.0) on certified postal scales. Please keep in mind that totals represent dry pack weight (food and water not included). Food and water can add considerable weight, and that added weight will vary according to water availability and the number of days between re-supply. Customarily, I carry no more than two liters of water (a tad under four pounds) at any given time, even across barren stretches, because I travel light and travel fast. My food bag (plastic shopping bag), on average, contains no more than two pounds/day. So, out of town and fully loaded for two days between re-supply, the average for this trek, my total pack weight (water to the next source, plus food) would likely come in well under 15 pounds.

It should be noted that ultra-light backpacks are not designed to carry heavy loads, nor should one be trekking in lightweight trail runners when lugging a heavy pack.